A report focusing on the effects of the Waldo Canyon Fire as it relates to potential flooding was released today. The Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply (WARSSS) study outlined prioritized mitigation to be completed in order to address anticipated flood problem areas. The study identified four major watersheds impacted – Camp Creek, Douglas Creek, Fountain Creek and West Monument Creek. The study also indentified the high risk sub watersheds, where the $7.2 million in Emergency Watershed Protection funds will be used for mitigation efforts on private property.

This is not to be confused with the $8.8 million dollars of emergency funds the Mayor has recently appropriated for channel reconstruction and water flow containment for North and South Douglas Creek, as well as Camp Creek. The City will be requesting Proposals for this work by the end of May.

In a letter today to the Pueblo County Board of Commissioners and Pueblo City Council, Mayor Steve Bach and City Council President Keith King stated the City will now spend a total of $46 million for stormwater control projects.

“The nearly $46 million investment in these critical public projects, including North and South Douglas and Camp creeks, is a significant step forward in mitigating stormwater flows in our region and shows our commitment to continue working to address this issue in the short- and long-term,” said Mayor Steve Bach and City Council President Keith King in the letter.

The cost of the WARSSS study was $425,000, of which the City contributed $50,000. WARSSS is a technical procedure developed by Dr. David Rosgen to evaluate how streams and rivers can be impaired by excess sediment. Due to the Waldo Canyon Fire, Dr. Rosgen was hired to evaluate and prioritize the drainages impacted by the fire in order to determine where mitigation will be most effective. The study was commissioned by Coalition of the Upper South Platte (CUSP).